Occupying an impressive Art Noveau building in Nybroplan, Stockholm, the Dramaten (Royal Dramatic Theatre) is Sweden’s National Theatre. As well as staging classical theatre, new Swedish and international productions it is a hub for child and youth theatre. After several years of renting Alcons loudspeakers, the venue has installed a permanent system in its main space.
Located in the main building, the 770-capacity Main Stage is the heart of the theatre. Its décor is maintained to be as close as possible to when the building opened in 1908, requiring the new system to be compact yet deliver very high-quality sound.
‘The challenge was to find a physically small PA without compromising in sound,’ says Dramaten Technical Project Manager, Johan Bengtsson. ‘We demand even coverage throughout all four levels of seating and a good stereo image. The available positioning for a PA was very limited because the building is historically protected, as well as considering sight lines.’
Swedish audio specialist Electrosound AB – a member of the Alcons global Ribbon Network – had rented a range of systems to Dramaten in the past. ‘Through regularly renting Alcons systems, such as VR8, VR12 and LR7 for various events, Dramaten already knew the quality that Alcons delivers. It also installed Alcons SR9 low-profile loudspeakers for front fill several years ago,’ says Electrosound’s Brollan Söderström. ‘When it became time to replace the main stage system, Dramaten asked me to do a full-scale site demonstration. I chose Alcons LR7 and LR7B as the best solution, because it fulfilled all needs and delivered the added benefits of better coverage and sound quality. Tenders were invited for supplying the final system and Alcons LR7 was the winner.’
The LR7 is a true line-source system, which can be deployed either in stacked or flown configuration. Loaded with the RBN401 pro-ribbon driver on a ‘morpher’ lens – which produces up to 94% frontal radiation – it features 120° dispersion with consisten coverage. Its transient response and peak power handling of 800W/200mS produce high intelligibility and throw, and offering high gain-before-feedback from any position up to directly under the array.
Precisely matching the LR7, the LR7B is a double-tuned band-pass bass unit. Featuring a single 12-inch long-excursion woofer, the LR7B delivers high-quality, high-output bass from an ultra-compact, weight-efficient package. The concentric band-pass configuration offers LR7-tuned bass response in full-space (flown) and increased efficiency in half-space (stacked) applications. The extended frequency response enables the LR7B to be used as mid-bass reinforcement, full-range bass extension or subwoofer. The micro-sized design and weight saving all-Neodymium drivers of a combined LR7/LR7B system makes it very easy to handle.
In addition, eight Alcons VR12 two-way, compact loudspeakers were installed as fills and monitors.
The system is powered by five Alcons ALC Sentinel 3 Amplified Loudspeaker Controllers. The Sentinel 3 is a four-channel, DSP-based controller with class-D amplifier stages, designed to get the absolute maximum performance out of Alcons pro-ribbon systems.
‘The Alcons system has increased the overall sound quality, but from a system that is smaller than the previous one,’ Söderström says. ‘The theatre is very happy with the LR7 solution.’
‘We were amazed when we heard the LR7 at the demonstration. The acoustic characteristics of the pro-ribbon drivers are great and really bring our sound designs to life. Finally we can give our audiences the supreme sound quality that they expect at the Royal Dramatic Theatre,’ Bengtsson concludes.
